THE HOT STORY

Millions of Asian migrant workers in Gulf at risk amid conflict

Millions of migrant workers in the Gulf region are at risk as Iran retaliates against US-Israeli strikes. The Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, and Pakistan are monitoring the location of their citizens and preparing evacuation and repatriation plans, and Vietnam has suspended the deployment of workers to the region. Bloomberg notes that previous conflicts in the Middle East have seen some migrant workers abandoned by employers, often without their wages or travel documents.

Bloomberg

South China Morning Post

Straits Times

HIRING

India and Israel agree to increase Indian foreign workers in Israel

Israel has agreed to allow an additional 50,000 Indian citizens to work in the country over the next five years, according to Randhir Jaiswal, spokesperson for India's External Affairs Ministry. The decision is part of the "List of 27 Outcomes" from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to Israel. The agreement aims to provide Indian workers with better access to jobs in Israel's manufacturing and food service sectors. The move comes as Israel seeks to address labour shortages following restrictions on Palestinian workers amid security concerns. The agreement predates the outbreak of conflict in the Middle East

The Jerusalem Post

CORPORATE

Chinese firms' Iranian business in limbo

Chinese exporters are grappling with uncertainty following the US-Israeli attacks on Iran. For example, David Xie, an executive from Shenzhen, reported losing contact with an Iranian client after securing a contract worth over 5m yuan ($726,000). “We couldn't reach them,” Xie said. “Messages are not answered. We don't know whether the project is postponed or cancelled.” Meanwhile, Yeno Yan, an agricultural machinery manufacturer from the eastern province of Shandong, said: “We can hardly contact our Iranian customers right now . . . Orders for this year are unlikely to move forward.”

South China Morning Post

LEGAL

Australia releases pay gap data

A Workplace Gender Equality Agency report provides benchmarks for the analysis of employer gender pay gaps in Australia and identifies three key areas where progress can accelerate. The report reveals that the gender pay gap in Australia has widened across several sectors, including real estate, IT, and public administration. While 52.3% of companies reduced their median pay gap, industries like finance and construction still show significant disparities, with men earning 23.8% more on average in construction. Agency chief executive Mary Wooldridge has said that the data serves as a "reality check" for workplace equality in Australia.

Yahoo News Australia

West Australian

ABC Online

China prepares landmark law curtailing minority language rights

China is this week set to enact a landmark law requiring ethnic minorities to use Mandarin Chinese as their main language of instruction, the Financial Times reports.

Financial Times

ECONOMY

Australian high-speed rail project gains momentum

The Australian federal government is set to invest nearly $700m in a high-speed rail project connecting Sydney and Newcastle. The two-year development phase has commenced, focusing on approvals, contracts, and design finalisation. Transport Minister Catherine King stated that this groundwork is essential for future construction. The project aims to reduce travel time to one hour between Sydney and Newcastle and 30 minutes to the Central Coast. It is projected to generate $250bn for the economy over 50 years and create around 99,000 jobs. However, concerns about energy supply and project viability persist.

Daily Mail

South Korea consumer confidence hits three-month high on semiconductor strength

South Korea’s consumer confidence rose to its highest level since November, buoyed by strong semiconductor exports and a rally in domestic equity markets. The Bank of Korea’s composite consumer sentiment index climbed to 112.1 in February, remaining comfortably above the neutral 100 mark. The improvement was driven by more positive assessments of current economic conditions and brighter expectations for the months ahead, reflecting solid export momentum and continued gains in the stock market. However, housing sentiment weakened. The sub-index measuring expectations for home prices fell sharply to 108, its lowest level since last April, after the government introduced measures to curb speculative property demand and signaled the end of certain tax relief policies.

Bloomberg

INTERNATIONAL

JPMorgan and Citi ask Middle East staff to work from home

JPMorgan and Citigroup employees in the Middle East have been asked to work from home amid escalating local tensions, according to two sources familiar with the matter. Both US lenders say they do not expect disruptions to their operations in the region due to the US.-Israeli air war ‌against Iran, said the sources. "We are continuing to take measures to help keep our employees ⁠and their families safe," Citigroup said in a statement.

Reuters

US courts wants Trump administration to reveal information about Elon Musk's DOGE

Bloomberg reports that US courts are forcing the White House to reveal information about the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk's role in it. Judges have ordered the government to disclose the names of DOGE employees and contractors, and to investigate phone numbers that Musk may have used for official business. The Trump administration faces multiple lawsuits seeking transparency and accountability for the department's actions, including its access to government systems and records with sensitive financial or personal data. “You really are seeing an unwillingness from the government to shed any type of light or any type of accountability for what happened,” said Tianna Mays, legal director of Democracy Defenders Fund.

Bloomberg

Mexico prepares for 40-hour work week by 2030

Mexico has approved a bill to reduce the standard workweek from 48 to 40 hours in a move that will benefit nearly 13.4m workers. The bill passed with overwhelming support in the Chamber of Deputies, with 469 votes in favour. However, critics worry that the reduction may lead to increased overtime hours. The reform will be implemented gradually, trimming two hours each year until 2030. President Claudia Sheinbaum introduced the proposal, emphasising that "productivity is not measured by exhaustion." The bill now requires approval from two-thirds of state legislatures to take effect.

AlJazeera

OTHER

Meitetsu Department Store closes after 71 years in Nagoya

Meitetsu Department Store’s main branch in Nagoya has closed permanently after 71 years, marking the end of a long-standing landmark near Nagoya Station as part of a wider redevelopment plan led by parent company Nagoya Railroad. Opened in December 1954, the store once anchored the station’s commercial district but had struggled with declining sales, which fell from ¥79.3bn in 2000 to ¥37.6bn in 2024. Redevelopment plans have been delayed after a prospective contractor withdrew, citing labour shortages, casting uncertainty over the timeline for demolition and reconstruction. Nagoya Railroad said it aims to outline the project’s direction in fiscal 2026.

The Japan Times

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